A Short History of the Astronomical Telscope


Dark adaped human eye: d = 7mm

  



Squid & Octopus eyes
Squid eye
 
 



So why do we need telescopes?




 


Galileo (1562-1642)


 



 

Advantages

Disadvantages


 Newton





William Herschel's (1738-1822) 48-inch

 


Melbourne Observatory and 48" f/41.7 Reflector (1869)
 


 
 
 

Alvin Clark (1888) Lick 36-inch


 


G. Hale & G. W. Ritchey (1908): Mt Wilson 60-inch

 


 



G. Hale & G. W. Ritchey (1917): Mt Wilson 100-inch

  • While the 60" was still under going tests, Hale convinced J.D. Hooker to finance a 100" reflector

  • Anderson, Brown & Hendrix (1948): Palomar 200-inch

    Hubble 2.5-meter Space Telescope (1989)


     

    The Keck 10-m (400-inch) Telescopes (1992)

    Keck I & II

    Inside the dome

    Keck's segmented mirror


     

    Adaptive Optics & Laser Guide Stars (2002)


     
     
     

    CELT (2015?)

    CELT & Stonehenge